GREAT FALLS — Some Bulldogs are in the hunt at the halfway mark of the Class AA State golf tournament.
Junior Jack Muhlestein and senior Kate DeShaw lead the way for Butte High. Muhlestein sits in third place on the boys’ leaderboard after the first 18 holes at the Meadow Lark Country Club. DeShaw is tied for 10th on the girls’ side.
Muhlestein matched par with a 72, shooting an even par 36 on each nine. That puts him four shots behind leader, Jayce Belzer of Helena Capital. Belzer shot a 4-under 68, following a 35 with a 33.
John Gilbert of Capital is holding down second place at 71. Four golfers are tied for fourth place at 73. They are Torren Murray of Glacier, Jackson Hageman of Great Falls Russell, Brady Muus of Billings Skyview and Derek Schaefer of Missoula Sentinel.
Butte High freshman Lane Lisac carded a 79, which puts him in a tie for 22nd place. He is also in the middle of a logjam that is right on the edge of the top 15. Currently, 15th place is a 77, and the top 15 players earn All-State honors.
Bulldog junior Teagan Yelenich is also right there following a first-round 80. Sophomore Miles Choquette added an 85 for the Bulldogs, and classmate Braden Donnelly hit an 87.
Capital leads the team race at 299. The Bruins lead Sentinel by one shot. Glacier sits in third at 308.
Butte High sits in seventh place at 316.
DeShaw shot an 85 and sits in a tie with Glacier’s Maggie Mitton for 10th place.
Payton Tryan of Billings Senior holds the lead at the halfway point at 73. Aerin Ryan of Gallatin is two back at 75, and Paige Loberg of Senior sits in third at 78.
Junior Sage Leber added a 108 for the Bulldogs, who qualified two girls for the tournament.
Senior and Gallatin are tied for the team lead at 327. Big Sky is a distant third 361, which is one shot better than Billings West.
The tournament concludes Friday. Play begins at 10 a.m.
Follow the tournament live on the Golf Genius app, where you can find complete results. The GGID is AASTATE26.
